Walia Special Edition on the Bale Mountains (2011) - Zoologische ...

The Ahmar (Chercher) Mountains
The mountains flanking the east side of the Rift Valley subside above Arsi and re-emerge 50 km farther
north as a steep ridge rising to 3,000 m. This mountain range is known as the Ahmar or Chercher
Mountains. A population of mountain nyala was reported for the first time in 2005 in an area called
Worga Bula. Located east of the town of Ashmira and close to the larger town of Teferi Birhan, the
area is defined by steep-sided gorges and ranges from 1,800 to 2,800 m in elevation. The forests are
dominated by Juniperus procera, Podocarpus gracilior and Schefflera abyssinica; however, much
of the area has been degraded by various land-use activities. In an effort to inhibit further degradation
of the landscape, there was an immediate call for the establishment of a controlled hunting block that
would encompass over 78 km2 . Preliminary surveys by the EWCD suggest that the mountain nyala
population is at 150. Further surveys and research are expected, and it is suspected that mountain
nyala may migrate to and from Arba Gugu in response to seasonal variability.
To the north of Worga Bulu are two controlled hunting blocks called Arba Gugu and
DinDin. Although the two blocks are relatively close to each other and similar in elevation, they are
separated by a plateau and cultivated land at lower elevations (Malcolm pers obs). Arba Gugu covers
approximately 225 km2 and ranges in elevation from 2,000 to 3,600 m. In 2002, J. Malcolm talked to
the professional hunter that held the concession. It was reported that mountain nyala mostly inhabit
the steep, shrubland slopes as well as the mature montane forest above 2,800 m (D. Assimacopolus
2002 pers comm). Because of the steep terrain, most of the remaining habitat is inaccessible to
humans and livestock, and provides a sanctuary for the mountain nyala. Recent population estimates
for Arba Gugu were unavailable for this study. In 1995, the EWCD estimated 445 mountain nyala
and permitted an annual harvest quota of three for 1996. The mountain nyala population, as seen in
other areas, appears to have increased since the early 1990s, and it is possible to see as many as 20
animals in a day (D. Assimacopolus 2002 pers comm)
The DinDin hunting block occupies about 25 km2 of the ridge and shares area portion with
a Forest Priority Area. Mountain nyala have been hunted in the region since at least the mid-1960s
(S. Haile 2002 pers comm), but the locality was not mentioned by Brown in his survey. Thomas
Mattanovich (2002 pers comm), the professional hunter for the hunting block, has visited the area
since the 1970s. He reports that the population declined in the era of the Derg (1974-1991) when
laws regulating the use of wildlife and natural resources were largely ignored. Mountain nyala
populations never recovered to the levels of the 1970s (T. Mattanovich 2002 pers comm). The
EWCD hunting census groups have visited DinDin three times, once in 1995 and twice in 1999. The
population estimate for 1995 was 100. The first group that visited in 1999 saw seven mountain nyala
and estimated a population of 116. Later in the same year a biologist from the EWCD visited the
area but failed to see any mountain nyala and concluded the population was in decline. A review of
2001 Landsat satellite images suggests that there is probably less than 150 km2 of available habitat,
including the high forests and the shrub covered slopes.
During the time of our survey, there appeared to be little human or livestock presence at
the DinDin hunting block, nor was there any apparent evidence of tree cutting in recent years (J.
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